Smyrna times., 1887-12-21
The KeDtCOunty Teachers institute
Brilliant Lectures by Breckenridge,
Bruce and Masden.
MOST SUCCESSFUL SESSION, AND
TIME OF PROFIT AND PLEASURE.

The Institute held for the benefit of
he teachers of Kent county, in this
own last week was one of the most
and pleasurable in every
ever held in the county.
L. Irving Handy, was
master of the situation, with plans we'll
arranged and executed, and with so
pleasant and we'll adapted a place for |
The sessions as the Opera House, it |
could not have been we'll otherwise |
than a success. As its deliberations |
have been published in the daily and !
weekly press we will not attempt more
than resume of the three days pro-
ceedings. About sixty teachers came |
on the Wednesday morning train and |
about as many more on the evening !
and later trains. Superintendent |
Handy called them to order shortly
after o'clock in the afternoon, J. w. |
Knapp, of FELTON,, leading in prayer,
followed by the election of G. K. Cole,
of MORTON, Secretary. John H. Hof-
fecker, on the part of the town made a
brief and neat speech of welcome
which was happily responded to on
the part of the teachers by w. Lee
Cannon, of Hartly. Grammar" was
the subject of consideration for the
afternoon, discussed by Superintendent
J. H. Ward, of Sussex county, and DR..
A. n. Raub, of Newark.
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
To the people other than those en-
gagged in scholastic pursuits, the even
ings formed the chief attraction.
Happily, Mr.. Handy had provided for
these in the most attractive manner.
Consequently, on Wednesday evening
a large audience assembled to hear i'm
what they were not disappointed, a
most finished address, without notes
or scrap of paper, by Hon. w. G. p.
Breckenridge, of Kentucky. This
however was prefaced by two pieces
OF choice music eXcellently rendered
by quartette composed of Walter 0.
Hottecker, J. Ed. HOfiecker, John r.
Robinson and John A. Hoffecker.
Mr.. Handy introduced Mr. Breckin-
ridge (who by the way is his mater
nal uncle) in some well chosen words
weaving in the prominent features Of
his life, announcing as his subject,
The West and What it Has Done for
this Country" Mr.. Breckenridge in
clear outline Of thought, clothed in
choice dictiOn, unimpassioned though
dressed in poetic elegance, comes nearer
to Edward Everett in style than any
speaker We have heard since. In
sketch like this it is out of our power
to give a satisfactory outline of its
thought. Starting with the English as
cOlonists who went to the new country
to stay and develop it, as in North
America, Australia, &c, they were the
worlds refOrmers, because they carried
with them the highest idea of civil and
religious liberty, based on a govern
ment of law and order, every one while
free in his individuality, yielding i'm
plicitly to the authority of law enacted
for the public good. For this he
claimed for the early settlers of
Kentucky what is claimed for
for the Puritan settlers of New
England-the planting of the standard
OF liberty in conscience, person and
pursuit-higher than had ever been
placed before in any period of the
worlds history. 1t was this conscious
idea that prompted Roger Clark to 90
down to Virginia to ask authority to
conquer the country west of the Allie
ghanies which was at first denied. but
afterwards under the influence of Pat
rick Henry then governor, was granted.
He was inspired by the Anglo Saxon
spirit of authority" and by this
authority he secured to the
United States the vast expanse of the
West and South, and to Anglo Saxon
ideas and professionalism, what France
and Spain had designed to partition
between themselves. He believes that
| Canada is sure to form a federation
with this Union, and that the acuuisi-
| ton of Texas and California bv the
Mexican war was according to divine
| plan and direction. He insisted that
the true idea of government was man.
hood suffrage and equality before the
law, and said it might seem strange to
a Delaware audience, but Kentucky
was the first colony to grant suffrage
to every human composing the com
mOnwealth. 1t would be difficult fol
any man of whatever faith to present
a broader patriotism or higher idea OF
the right of individual liberty, and il
was wonder how man could take
up his sword to fight against country
which was trying to foster and perpet.
uate a government based on his cher.
ished idea, and that at this date. a
quarter Of a century after in our great
ness and prosperity because the Union
was preserved, there could be found
those in the audience who could an.
plaud the announcement of the fact.
THURSDAY.
Thursday a heavy rainfall prevailed
through the day, though not interior
ing materially with the Institute.
The session was opened by prayer
by Superintendent Bessey. DIR. Raul
then talked il his usual interesting
way on school management. A very
interesting address was then made by
Thomas NJ. Ballet, superintendent o
the Reading, Pa, public schools, on adj
vanced arithmetic. DR.. Raub Their
spoke on Thought, or teaching tht
scholars to think"
Superintendent Bessey, of New Cas-
tie county, gave a very entertaining
discourse on history.
The afternoon session was opened by
Superintendent Handy announcing
that, commencing with January LIST
he would hold an examination O
teachers once every month, on the las
Saturday, instead of every three
months, as has been the custom.
superintendent Ballet then gave an
interesting talk on Psychology, ;
which he defined as Science of tn,
Mind" He was roundly applaudeC
when he close at the end of one hour
DIR. J. H. Caldwell, president of Del
aware College, gave a lecture on THE
AleXandrian Library-Its Influence OIL
Modern Civilization, IA paper show
a great deal of literary research.
Wallace Bruce was down on the pro
gramme for the evening entertainment
and this fact was sufficient to fill botl
the auditorium and balcony. Wallac,
Bruce comes nearer to John B. Gougl
for an evenings entertainment thar
any man that has appeared on ou
stage, and that is saying about all tina
could be said for lecturer. His sub
ject Ready Wit" gave him an oppor
unity to CLEAN the choicest flowers
from every field of literature-wit, sen
timent, fact, history, humor, follies
analysis and antithesis of character
with an occasional sermon thrown il
that surpasses the usual pulpit formul,
each following the other with the
rapidity and brilliancy of the >kaleido
scope. There is not a dull sentence
from the time that he come on until h,
retires from the foot lights.
The music for this and the subse